Using Arterial Pulse and Laser Doppler Analyses to Discriminate between the Cardiovascular Effects of Different Running Levels

Figures

• 

  Figure 1. Experimental setup.

• 

  Figure 2. Typical time-domain waveforms.

• 

  Figure 3. Comparisons of PPG harmonic indices between Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1: Cn, CVn, Pn, and Pn_SD. Data are mean and SD values. C5–C10 values have been multiplied by 5 to make the differences clearer. “*” indicates p < 0.05; “+” indicates 0.05 < p < 0.1. For Cn values, C2 was significantly smaller in Level 2 and Level 1 than in Level 3, C4–C7 were significantly larger in Level 2 and Level 1 than in Level 3, and C8 and C9 were significantly larger in Level 2 than in Level 3. For Pn values, P2–P6 were significantly larger in Level 2 and Level 1 than in Level 3. Regarding CVn values, CV1, CV3, and CV5 appeared to be smaller in Level 1 than in Level 2, and C7–C10 were significantly smaller or appeared to be smaller in Level 1 than in Level 2 and Level 3. Regarding Pn_SD values, P6_SD, P7_SD, P9_SD, and P10_SD were significantly smaller or appeared to be smaller in Level 1 than in Level 2 and Level 3.

• 

  Figure 4. Comparisons of BPW harmonic indices between Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1: Cn, CVn, Pn, and Pn_SD. Data are mean and SD values. C5–C10 values have been multiplied by 5 to make the differences clearer. “*” indicates p < 0.05; “+” indicates 0.05 < p < 0.1. For Cn values, C2 was significantly smaller in Level 2 and Level 1 than in Level 3, and C1 and C4–C10 were significantly larger in Level 2 and Level 1 than in Level 3. For Pn values, most of P3–P6 were significantly larger in Level 2 and Level 1 than in Level 3. For CVn values, CV1–CV4 and CV8 were significantly larger or appeared to be larger in Level 1 than in Level 3. For Pn_SD values, P1_SD and P2_SD were significantly larger in Level 1 than in Level 3.

• 

  Figure 5. Comparisons of LDF (a) flux and (b) variability indices among the three groups. Data are mean and SD values. “*” indicates p < 0.05; “+” indicates 0.05 < p < 0.1. (a) For the LDF flux indices, PW was significantly larger in Level 1 than in Level 3 and Level 2, and DC was significantly smaller in Level 2 than in Level 3 and Level 1. (b) For the LDF variability indices, FDT_CV was significantly larger in Level 1 and Level 2 than in Level 3, and AD_CV was significantly larger in Level 1 than in Level 3.

• 

  Figure 6. Comparisons of LDF spectral indices among the three groups. Data are mean and SD values. There were no significant differences in all frequency bands among the three groups.

• 

  Figure 7. Using relative change distributions of pulse-effect indices to discriminate among groups. For BPW indices, choosing −0.4 as the angle-effect threshold resulted in almost perfect discrimination (AUC = 0.878) between the Level-3 and Level-2 groups.